Paper-file drawer



m EW A R @D BF H R WA P No. 511,582. Patented Dec. 26, 1893.'

a/ y v z ST TEs PATENT Price.

\VILLIAM A. BORDEN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

- PAPER-FILE DRAWER.

SIECI FIGATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 511,582, dated December 26, 1893. Application filed March 20, 1893. SerialNo. 466,798- (No model.) I

To add whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. BORDEN, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Paper-File Drawers; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description'of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a perspective view of a filedrawer complete; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the same on a larger scale with the indexcards removed; Fig. 3, a sectional side view; Fig. 4, a sectional view cutting on line 00-00 of Fig. 3 looking forward; Fig. 5, a sectional side View illustrating modification in the formation of the follower; Fig. 6,'a similar view illustrating a second'modification in the forv mation of the follower; Fig. 7, the same as Fig.4, illustrating modification of the plate which is secured to the follower.

This invention relates to an improvement in index drawers or file-holders, and particularly to that class in which compartments or spaces are formed by pieces of card-board, between which papers are arranged, the papers being compressed by a follower, which is moved forward and back between the sides, and held in position by clamps, or other devices to rigidly hold it in any desired position; the object being to produce a file-holder in which the papers contained therein may be readily examined without moving the follower with relation to the base, and allow the drawer to be carried by the handle without danger of the contents falling from their place, and the invention consists in certain details of construction as will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In my preferred form, the drawer or holder consists of a bottom A, front B, having lts 1nner face inclined inward from the top, and sides 0 D, the height of the sides varying to suit the various requirements for which drawers of this character may be employed. Centrally through the bottom of thedrawer a slot, E, is formed, the edges of whlchare under-cut, forming a lodge a, upon each s de. The follower is made in two parts and cominner faces of the two partsare inclined rearward from the base to the'top, so-that the distance between the top of the follower and I 1 than the distance between the base of the the top of the front is considerably'greater follower and the bottom of the front. The

division between the two parts of thelfollower is on a line inclined from thef'ront downward toward the back. At each end of the base a plate H is rigidly attached,"th,e

said plates extending upward, and provided with inclined slots 19, extending from the. rear upwardand forward. The upper part of the follower is secured to the plates ,H by piris (3, extending through the slots 1). The arrangement of the slots is such that when the {.u'pper part G, is in its upright position,thefpin's will'rest in the lower ends of the slots, and so that the said upper part will resist pressure from the front. As the upper end of. the upper part is turned forward, the pins 1), will ride'upward in the slots, and thereby raise the upper part until its lower forward edge d, clears the forward edge of, the lower part, when the pins b,will recede to the lowerends of the slots in which position the inner face of the upper portion of the follower rests upon the top of its lower portion. In this adjustment of the parts, the upper portion of the follower extends forward, as seen in Fig.

3', and is securely held against further rear them and the bottom, sufficient to hold them in any desired position. v

To secure the card or boards which form the divisions of the drawer, a rod J, is inserted through" the front of thedrawer, which is provided with an opening to receive it, the

too"

outer end of the opening being enlarged to receive the head g of the rod, and the said rod held against endwise movement by the friction between it and its head and the front ofthe drawer. rod will stand in the slot E, and pass between the follower and its securing plate, and take a bearing at the rear of the drawer, the plate being grooved to allow it to freely move over the rod.

The division plates or index-cards h h are each provided with a central extension 2' from their lower edge, which will stand in theslot E, and the said extensions are perforated so as to permit the rod J, to pass through them, whereby the cards are securely held against removal between the front of the drawer and the follower, yet allowed to be moved forward or back as required. WVhen the catds h h are in position, and the papers arranged between them, the follower is moved forward until the bottomsof the cards are sufliciently near together to hold the contents in position, and on account of the inclined surfaces of thefront of the drawer and follower, the upper edges of cards may be readily separated and the contents of the compartments examined without moving the follower. To permit the drawer to be carried by the handle with its inner end downward, the upper portion G, of the follower is turned forward as before described, which will force the upper edges of the cards forward, and clamp them low the insertion or removal of papers.

between it and the front of the drawer, and so that if the drawer is held by the handle with its inner end downward, the cards will stand inclined upward and consequently safelyhold the papers arranged between them.

Instead of forming the follower as described, it may be formed as shown in Fig. 5, in which case the main portion F, corresponds to the complete follower before described, and the movable portion G is of wedge shape in transverse section, and is introduced point downward, between the portion F and the cards, which will force the upper edges of the cards forward, and clamp them between it and the front of the drawer, as before described. The portion G' is held in position by a catch K, secured to the back of the portion F of the follower, and extending forward beyond its top, and under which the rear. upper edge of the wedge passes. By raising the said catch, the portion Gis readily removed to permit the contents to be freely examined without moving the follower, it being necessary to move the follower only to al- In another form the follower may be constructed, as first described, except that it has a vertical front face,as seen in Fig. 6, the block being transversely divided, as before described, into two portions, the base F and upper portion G The two parts are connected by plates and pins, as before described. The base F is so adjusted with relation to the con tents of the drawer, that when the upper part In the preferred form, this.

is in its upright position, the said contents may be readily examined, yet-when the upper portion is. turned forward, it will sulfiiciently clamp the contents to prevent dis placement.

Instead of forming a wide slot in the bottom of the drawer, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5, it may be quite narrow, as shown in Fig. 7, in which case the plate in the under side of the groove will be replaced by a washer I, which will take a bearing on the ledges a a, and be secured to the follower by a screw f, with sufficient friction to normally hold the follower in the desired position, yet permit it to be moved forward or back as may be required. In the construction last described, the rod J, will stand above the bottom and pass through the follower, which will be perforated for that purpose.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a file-holder, the combination with the bottom, sides, and front thereof, of a two-part follower of which the lower partis frictionally secured in place, and the upper part movable to contract the space between the follower and the said front, substantially as described.

2. In a file-holder, the combination withthe bottom, sides and front thereof, of a twoapart able to contract the space between the follower and the said front, su'bstantiallyas described.

3. In a file-holder, the combination withthe bottom, sides and front thereof, of a two part follower, the members of whichare connected together at their ends by two slotted plates attached to one member, and two headedpins located in the other member and entering the slots in the plates, substantially as described.

4. In a file-holder, the combination with the bottom, sides and frontthereof, of a-two-part follower connected together by two slotted plates attached to its lower member, and two pins located in its upper member and entering the slots in the plates, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a file-holder,the combination withthe bottom and sides thereof, of a front having its inner face inclined inward so that its base is wider than its top,and a two-part follower having its lower member frictionally secured in place, and its upper member made movable to contract the distance between thefollower and the said front, snbstantiallyas described.

6. In a file-holder, a two-part followerlcomposed of an upper and a lower member located one upon the other, andhaving their fro arranged to enter the said slots iii-the plates,

substantially asset forth.

7. In a file-holder, the combination with the bottom, sides and front thereof, the bottom having a longitudinal slot undercut upon its lower face, of a two-partfollower resting upon the said bottom; its upper member being movable toreduce the distance between the follower and the said front, and a friction-plate entering the said recess and connected with the lower member of the follower which is thus frictionally connected with the bottom of the device, substantially as set forth.. a

s. In a file-holder, the combination with the bottom, sides and front thereof,the said bottom having a longitudinal slot, of'a two-part followerhaving its upper end adapted to be moved, to contract the distance between the follower and the said front, and having its lower-member frictionally connected with the said bottom through the slot therein,a series of index cards interposed between the said front and follower, and a rodpassing transversely through the said cards for securing them in place, substantially as described.

'Intestimony whereof I have signed this. specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 

